Explosive Commonwealth Games opening canceled

LONDON -- Organizers of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Sunday announced they had canceled plans to blow up five of the city's iconic tower blocks as part of the July opening ceremony following a backlash.

More than 17,000 people signed an online petition protesting against the demolition of the 30-story Red Road residential blocks in the north of the city, with organizers citing “safety and security” as the reason for the U-turn.

“We made it clear from the outset the absolute priority was safety and that this event would only happen during the opening ceremony if it was safe to do so,” Games chief executive David Grevemberg said in a statement.